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Can Magnepan survive Wendell Diller?

I bought my first set of Magnepans in 1976, and I currently have a pair of 1.7i's.

It is difficult for me to upgrade to the 3.7i's because their are so many things that the company can do to improve their product that they simply won't offer; upgraded crossover components, a solid wood/rigid frames and better stands are examples.

Other companies are now doing this, but Magnepan always says Wendell doesn't think that is a good idea.

Can a man who suggests using lamp cord for his speaker line really have that much control over an otherwise unique technological approach to speaker design? I must be missing something obvious when a product is hand assembled in MN and any of these upgrades would, in my mind, warrant factory upgrades. Who wouldn't spend an extra $1k for a 1.7i with a hardwood frame and an upgraded x-over? Adding a ribbon tweeter to the 1.7i would warrant an additional $1k, still bringing them in $2k under the 3.7i.

Is it common for one person to hold an entire company back in high end audio? 
128x128william53b
william53b's avatar
william53b OP
211 posts
 
Update.

Sock off. There are lateral structural braces on the metal panel to help tame frame deformation in that direction. So maybe the frame is as strong as the old ply ones on my MGII's on the 1.7i laterally and that is the reason they don't sound that much better when modded?
william53b's avatar
william53b OP
211 posts
 
A wannabe speaker designer.

https://www.gr-research.com/store/p70/Magnepan_1.7_Upgrade.html
speakermaster
738 posts
 
One person can change and hold back a company for sure as well as remove the company founder and ruin the company in no time and i agree that magnepan should offer better frames, components, and hookups for their speakers.
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william53b OP
211 posts
 
Magnepan's 50 year anniversary is coming up in a few years. Hopefully they'll make an anniversary edition speaker fully boated in a limited run for the occasion.

I'd definitely buy a pair.
panzrwagn's avatar
panzrwagn
443 posts
 
I am a car guy as well as an audiophile. In the automobile world, there are dozens of modding sites and vendors galore for nearly every brand, old or new.
Take a really fun car to drive - a VW Golf. From that base, from the factory, you can step up I to a GTI, or all the way to the Type R. I can tell you from personal experience that for about $300, I can significantly improve the handling performance. For $1,000, the handling and get you 20% more power, and for $3,000 even better handing, braking, and power. That's part of the fun - planning your upgrades. I also know how to do that with Maggie's. For 3-5% of the cost I can rebuild the crossovers, and as we go up I can improve the frames, use more transparent grill cloth. The genius in both cases is a affordable platform with enough innate goodness to make it worthwhile, and for that, Magnepan should be thanked, not demonized. 
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